Oil collector and distributor for mechanically-lubricated axlebox



June 10, 1958 J. BOUVAT-MARTIN OIL COLLECTOR AND DISTRIBUTOR FOR MECHANICALLY-LUBRICA'I'ED AXLE-BOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 16, 1955 INVENTOR JEAN BOUVAT-MARTIN n 1958 J. BOUVAT-MARTIN I OIL COLLECTOR AND DISTRIBUTOR FOR MECHANICALLY-LUBRICATED AXLE-BOX 3 SheetsSheet 2 Filed D90. 16, 1955 June 10, 1958 J. BOUVAT-MARTIN 2,838,347 OIL COLLECTOR AND DISTRIBUTORFOR MECHANICALLY-LUBRICATED AXLE-BOX Filed Dec. 16, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR JEAN BOUVAT'MARTIN United States Patent 7.

OIL COLLECTOR AND DISTRIBUTOR FOR llglEgHANlCALLY LUBRICATED A X L E- Jean Bouvat-Martin, Paris, France, assignor to Socit Anonyme dite: Societe Generale Isothermos, Paris, France Application December 16, 1955, Serial No. 553,605

Claims priority, application France December 31, 1954 3 Claims. (Cl. 30886) The present invention relates to an oil collector and distr'ibutor for mechanically-lubricated axle boxes particularly axle-boxes of the type used for the axles of railway rolling-stock, comprising an upper halfebearing integral with a box-shaped housing which holds the lubricant, and a lower half-bearing.

In known axle-boxes of this general type the lubricant is held in a sump-forming lower part of the housing and splashed by a dipper or like member in the form of a disk or blade-carrying part driven directly or indirectly from the axle to the upper face of the upper half-bearing. This dipper may be secured directly on the outer end of the axle. The bearing comprises on the aforesaid upper face a feed pool from which oil-distributing channels are adapted to supply lubricant by gravity, either directly or indirectly, to the lower face of the bearing.

At moderate speeds the oil drains directly into the upper feed pool or sump as the dipper passes thereover. However, at higher speeds the lubricant is projected against. the walls of the box housing and then flows therealong.

In its upper portion located above the upper feed pool of the upper half bearing the axle-box housing is provided with guiding members such as ribs or baflies directed towards this pool so as to lead thereto part of the oil splashed by the dipper against the walls of the housing. The remaining oil flows back to the lower sump without having been used for lubricating the bearing.

Now the lower half-bearing is lubricated with oil taken from the upper half-bearing and flowing along the axle spindle. This oil penetrates into the bore surface of the lower half-bearing through the inlet chamfer thereof.

From the foregoing it is apparent that one portion of the oil conveyed by the oil dipper or like member is not used for lubrication purposes and that more particularly the lower half-bearing receives only oil used for lubricating the upper half-bearing.

Now it is the object of this invention to provide a device adapted to feed the otherwise unused lubricating oil to the lower half-bearing.

To this end, the axle-box according to the invention comprises, in addition to the oil collector and distributor normally provided for lubricating the upper half-bearing, a device for collecting and supplying oil to the lower halfbearing. V

The attached drawings forming part of this specification illustrate diagrammatically, by way of example, a preferred embodiment of this invention with a few modifications. In the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal section of the axle-box.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section showing the oil dipper rotated through 90 with respect to Fig. 1.

Figure 3 shows in its left-hand portion a half-section taken upon the line III-III of Fig. 1 and in its right-hand portion a half-elevational side view of the axle-box, the cover 29 being removed for the sake of clarity.

Figures 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of the housing portions against which the oil is projected by the drawer.

The axle'box housing 1 is cast with an upper portion 2,838,347 Patented June 10, 1958 2 and an end flange 3 adapted to receive a rear cover 4 enclosing a dust-guard 10; registering with the dust-guard 10 and fitted on the axle-spindle 14 extending therefrom in the forward direction is an annular deflector 8. v The front portion of the axle box housing 1, in which the dipper 9 is rotatably mounted, is enlarged and formed with surfaces adapted to receive the oil splashed or projected by the dipper 9. In the portion of this front portion the oil-receiving wall 19 is tapered inwards; besides, the front edge of this front portion is formed with a flange adapted to receive a cover 29 accommodating a sealing gasket 11. v e

The axle spindle 14 has fitted therein in the usual manner an upper half-bearing 5 and a lower half-bearing 6, and the spindle head 17 has secured thereon by screws 15 the oil-drawing disk 9 dipping in the oil sump 25 provided in the lower portion of the housing as shown.

The reference numeral 7 designates the two members constituting the stepped adjustment wedges constructed according to the known method and assembled by means either by direct dripping from the dipper 9 or in the form of lubricant splashed by this dipper 9 against the inner wall 19 of the housing and flowing thereon as shown by the arrows in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The feed'po'ol 30 is connected through distributing channels 39 to oil-distributing surfaces provided with oilgrooves 36 adapted to spread the oil on the draining edges 45 (see Fig. 3) through which the spindle 14 is lubricated.

'Figure 4 shows the wall of the axle-box housing and themanner in which the oil is splashed thereon .by the dipper 9 at high speeds. The upper portion 19 of this wall, i. e. the portion overlying the upper half-bearing 5 and the pool 30 comprises a draining zone 31 of substantially trapezoidal shape with rounded sides, formed with oil-guiding ribs or edges 34, 35. These ribs or edges constitute the limits of this draining zone 31 from which the oil splashed by the dipper 9 drains down to the upper feed pool 30 of the upper half-bearing.

The oil-collecting and distributing device for supplying the lower half-bearing 6 with lubricant consists of a pair of symmetrical channels 22, 42 located substantially in the horizontal diametral plane of the spindle 14, with a slight incline in the direction from the front to the rear of the axle-box. These channels are connected to grooves 20, 40 inclined downwards and leading to the inlet chamfer 26 of the lower half-bearing.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, the channels 22, 42 and their corresponding grooves 20, 40 constitute with the relevant ribs or edges 34, 35 a pair of lateral oil-draining zones 32, 33 respectively. The oil flowing down these zones is thus fed to the lower half-bearing 6; from the foregoing it is apparent that if the channels 22, 42 and grooves 20, 40 were not provided this oil would be returned to the main sump 25.

The arrows F F in Fig. 4 designate the direction in which the oil fiows along the walls of the axle-box housing, and the arrow F indicates the direction of rotation of the dipper 9.

It is clear that the amount of oil projected against the walls of the axle-box housing will be greater on the right-hand side of this housing (when looking at Fig. 3, 4 or 5 of the drawings) i. e. on the side where the dipper 9 emerges from the oil sump 25. Therefore, the lower half-bearing 6 will be fed mainly through the channel 22 and groove 20 located on this side of the housing with oil flowing in the direction of the arrow F As shown in Fig. 5 it is also possible to provide two draining zones 32, 33 separated by a central rib 38.

The depth and inclination of the channels and grooves 22, and 42, 20, 40 respectively as well as their disposition in the axle-box housing may vary according to the design contemplated, provided that the channels are positioned in the plane of the oil dipper 9 and that they receive the oil draining along the inner walls 19 of the axlebox housing so as to direct this oil to the lateral chamfered inlet edges of the lower half-bearing.

Although the above description and the accompanying drawings relate to a specific embodiment and one modification of this invention, it will be readily understood that many constructional details and relative dimensions thereof may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An oil collecting and distributing device comprising an axle, an axle-box for said axle having an oil sump therein, an upper bearing engaging the upper portion of said axle having a feed cavity, ducts leading from said cavity to said upper portion of said axle, a lower bearing mounted under the lower portion of said axle having upper edges sloping toward said axle, an oil-elevating member rotatably driven by said axle supplying said feed cavity with oil drawn from said oil sump, the inner surface of said axle-box in which said oil-elevating member rotates being formed at its upper portion with a slope inclined inwardly to direct towards said feed cavity any oil projected by said oil-elevating member against said last named upper portion, said inner surface having two inner troughs disposed slightly above the level of the two upper edges of said lower bearing and inclined slightly towards said two upper edges respectively so as to discharge thereon that fraction of the oil projected by said elevating member against said inner surface which has not streamed down to said feed cavity.

2. An oil collecting and distributing device comprising an axle, an axle-box for said axle having an oil sump,

therein, an upper bearing engaging the upper portion of said axle having a feed cavity, ducts leading from said cavity to said upper portion of said axle, a lower bearing mounted under the lower portion of said axle having upper edges sloping toward said axle, an oil-elevating member rotatably driven by said axle supplying said feed cavity with oil drawn from said oil sump, the inner surface of said axle-box in which said oil-elevating member rotates being formed with two ribs limiting therebetween a central portion of said inner surface so that oil projected by said oil-elevating member against said central portion will stream down towards said feed cavity, said inner surface also having two trough-shaped portions disposed slightly above the level of said upper edges of said lower bearing, said trough-shaped portions limiting on either side of said ribs two lateral portions of said inner surface, ducts leading from said trough-shaped portions to said edges so that the oil projected by said elevating member against said lateral portion streams down in said two trough-shaped portions to said ducts so that said trough-shaped portions and ducts will lead the oil thus received towards the two upper edges of said lower bearing respectively.

3. An oil collecting and distributing device as set forth in claim 2 wherein two ducts communicating with said two trough-shaped portions are provided and each of said ducts is slightly inclined towards one of said upper edges of said lower bearing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,264,908 Blackmore Dec. 2, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS .10,800/33 Australia 'Jan. 8, 1934 10,894/33 Australia J an. 9, 1934 

